Why Religious Freedom Matters

Allen D. Hertzke is professor emeritus of political science at the University of Oklahoma. He is author or editor of ten books, including Freeing God's Children and The Future of Religious Freedom. He served a ten-year term on the prestigious Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences at the Vatican.

Acknowledgments 1. Religious Freedom Matters 2. Underpinnings of Democracy, Civil Liberties, and Civil Society 3. The Font of Wealth: Religious Freedom and Flourishing Societies 4. Path to Empowerment: Uplifting Vulnerable Communities 5. Weapon of Peace 6. Charting the Way Forward Notes Bibliography

"With this highly readable and richly documented book, Allen Hertzke shows why everyone concerned about human flourishing should come to the aid of religious freedom. Skeptics will be surprised, and human rights advocates heartened by Hertzke's examples of religious freedom's demonstrable benefits." - Mary Ann Glendon, author of In the Courts of Three Popes "This is a most important book on one of the great problems plaguing the modern world-religious persecution-written by one of the towering figures in the field of religious freedom studies." - Nilay Saiya, author of Weapon of Peace "Hertzke's masterful analysis and deep expertise cogently argues for the global importance of protecting freedom of belief and its far-reaching implications for human flourishing." - H. Knox Thames, author of Ending Persecution "Hertzke masterfully weaves together the social science of religious freedom that has arisen in the past generation, demonstrating beyond a reasonable doubt that this 'x factor' is one of the most potent forces for justice and flourishing in the political realm." - Daniel Philpott, author of Religious Freedom in Islam